The Rolling Stones Give Cubans What They Need…

The Rolling Stones gave half-a-million Cubans what they needed Friday night at Ciudad Deportiva de la Habana — a free outdoor concert that lasted for more than two hours, starting with “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and ending just before 11 p.m. with “Satisfaction,” which got the crowd literally jumping from the familiar opening chords. And just like anywhere in the world, cell phones went up to capture the band on video, especially for the songs they knew the most. The difference was there was no service on site and Cubans can’t easily upload photos and videos online; Internet is dial-up speed. But they knew the rock concert protocol, even if they hadn’t experienced it before. Fans had waited a lifetime to see the legendary British band play in the Communist country, and this evening marked a historic occasion for the band and for Cuba: It was frontman Mick Jagger, guitarist Keith Richards, drummer Charlie Watts and guitarist Ronnie Wood’s first-ever concert there since the band formed in 1962.